Oh hi, we’re back with bread salad again.
But this time, we’re leaning on the flavors from summer’s best sandwich: the BLT.
Now, we’ve done the BLT thing here before. And it’s great. I make that recipe all the time, and it’s perfect as-is.
But…
You can only fit so much summer veg between two slices of bread. And when you eat dinner on the couch (as I often do), eating a sandwich is risky and downright messy.
So I threw everything in a bowl, and now we’re here.
I kid you not, I have made this recipe almost every day for a week. I’ve swapped ingredients in and out, I honed in on a smoky-sweet dressing, and I have loved every single dining experience that has involved this here salad.
It. Is. Delightful. And just a really great way to celebrate allllll the in-season summer produce.
The core ingredients for this salad are, of course, the same as in your traditional BLT:
- Bread, toasted. Preferably a nice sourdough.
- Tomatoes, marinated. Any kind you want.
- Lettuce, shredded iceberg. No fancy lettuces here.
- Bacon, vegan. Of the coconut variety.
If you’ve never had coconut bacon before, it’s just unsweetened marinated coconut, pan-fried until crisp. It sounds weird, it is a little weird, but it is so, so good. Just trust me.
It’s best if you can find that thick flaked coconut (it is just so wonderfully crisp and chewy this way!), but shredded coconut (like I used in the pictures here) works too.
Then to make the most of our bowl and all that summery goodness, we’ll just load up the salad with anything that tickles our fancy. I went with corn, cucumber, green onion, and avocado, but you do you.
I really think you’ll love this salad just as much as I do. It has become a full-blown obsession in my house at this point, and I cannot wait for you to try it, too.
Three cheers for summer veg!
BLT Panzanella
A smoky-sweet BLT-inspired panzanella salad made vegan! Load it up with your favorite summer veg and dive on in.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
COCONUT BACON:
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (like grapeseed)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut chips/flakes*
DRESSING:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch salt
- fresh-cracked black pepper
BREAD:
- 1 large slice of good sourdough bread, torn into bite-sized chunks
- 1/2 tablespoon oil
- pinch salt
- freshly-cracked black pepper
SALAD**:
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1–2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1/4 cup corn kernels (I used thawed frozen)
- 1/4 english cucumber, sliced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed
Instructions
- MIX UP THE COCONUT BACON: In a medium bowl, combine your soy sauce, oil, maple syrup, tomato paste, and smoked paprika. Whisk to combine.
- Add your coconut chips and toss to coat completely. Allow to marinade for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line a large plate or cookie sheet with paper towels.
- MAKE THE DRESSING: Whisk your dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add your diced tomatoes into it to quickly marinate. Set aside.
- COOK THE COCONUT BACON: Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Working in two batches, scoop out some of the coconut bacon and add it to your pan, leaving any additional liquid in the bowl to discard.
- Cook your bacon, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until golden. If certain pieces start to get darker than others, you can use tongs to remove them and place them on your paper towel-lined plate. Try to keep the pieces of coconut separated as they cook. They’ll crisp further as they cool. Set aside.
- TOAST YOUR BREAD: Toss your bread, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toast in a toaster oven or air fryer until golden. I used a toaster oven at 335 degrees F for about 5 minutes. Add to your dressing/tomato mixture and toss.
- ASSEMBLE: Add your other salad ingredients to the bowl with your tomatoes and bread, and toss again. Top with a nice handful or two of your coconut bacon (leftovers store well in an air-tight container in the fridge). Dive in, and enjoy!
Notes
*I used shredded coconut because I couldn’t find the big flaked coconut anywhere (I went to multiple stores!). Shredded worked, but the big flaked coconut is better.
**These are the ingredients I used the day I shot this recipe, but feel free to swap in your favorite summer veg!
Join the Fooduzzi Fam!
I’ll send you healthy takes on classic recipes, delectable recipe roundups, and more updates on my growing blog. You’ll also receive a series where I share my top dinner, dessert, and snack recipes with you –– for free!
Woo hoo! Check your email to confirm your email address.
–>
Hello
I am a food blogger. I search for recipes and write to my blog. we have a small team of two people.
My Name is Shubham Patel And My partner name is Jenish Pateliya. we both work on this website.